The 5-minute rule: why fast replies win more customers
A Harvard Business Review study of 1.25 million leads found that speed is one of the cheapest ways to win more of the enquiries you already get.
Every business owner knows the feeling: an enquiry comes in while you're on a job, and by the time you call back in the evening, the person has moved on. A well-known study put numbers on that feeling, and the numbers are useful because they point to one of the simplest ways to grow.
What the research found
In 2011, Harvard Business Review published a study by James Oldroyd, Kristina McElheran and David Elkington. They looked at 1.25 million sales leads received by 42 companies.
The finding: companies that tried to contact a lead within an hour were nearly seven times as likely to qualify it as companies that waited even one hour longer, and more than 60 times as likely as companies that waited a day or more.
The same team also tested how quickly 2,241 companies replied to an online enquiry. The average response time among those that replied was 42 hours.
The opportunity: if most replies take close to two days, a business that calls back in minutes stands out immediately, with the same ads, the same website and the same enquiries.
Why speed matters so much
When someone fills in a form, they are thinking about what they need right now. They have time, they remember your company, and they are ready to talk. A few hours later they are back at work, at dinner, or talking to someone else. A fast call meets them while their interest is at its highest.
How to reply in minutes, every time
- Make the first reply automatic. A text message or email that goes out the moment the form arrives, confirming you'll call shortly.
- Call, don't only email. A short conversation answers questions faster than a thread of messages.
- Use a short script. Three or four questions are enough to understand what they need, where they are and when they want it.
- Book the next step on the same call. A visit, a video call or a quote date, with a calendar invite sent straight away.
- Send reminders. A message the day before and a couple of hours before keeps appointments on track.
- Follow up after the quote. Bigger purchases take time. A friendly check-in a few days later helps people decide.
Where to start this week
Look at your last ten enquiries and note how long each one waited for a first reply. That single number tells you how much growth is sitting in the enquiries you already have.
Sources
- Oldroyd, J. B., McElheran, K., & Elkington, D. (2011). The Short Life of Online Sales Leads. Harvard Business Review, 89(3), 28.